Articulated, spring-back post foot for road signs, traffic signals, smaller street lights and the like

Abstract

An articulated and automatic spring-back post foot (3) for a post (1) for road signs, signal lights and smaller street lights or the like. The post foot comprises a lower or exterior section (11) adapted for attachment in the ground or to a bridge element or the like, and an upper or internal section (4) having an attachment means for the post (1) and being connected for articulated, spring-back movement to said First section (11). The lower or exterior section (11) consists of a sleeve-like element of metal having at the upper edge thereof an inwardly facing annular flange (12). The upper or internal section (4) is provided at the lower end thereof with a central indented section (8) which is provided on the exterior jacket face thereof with an encircling body (9) of elastic rubber material having an outer diameter which is adaptable by press-fitting to the internal diameter of the flange (12). At the center of the lower part of the upper section there is attached a flexible traction member (19), preferably a cable, which extends through the sleeve-like element (11) and passes through the center of a bottom plate (14), and further through the center of a resilient, compressible body (21), particularly a block-like body of foamed or porous plastic, and with its free end is fastened to a disc-like member (24) abutting with the lower end of the resilient block-like body (21), the upper side of said body (21) abutting with a contact surface or bottom plate (14) at the lower end of the sleeve (11).

I claim: 
     
       1. An articulated, spring-back post foot, for road sign posts, information sign posts and traffic light posts, each of said posts having a root part (1),   said post foot (3) comprising a lower section (11) and an upper section (14),   said lower section (11) comprising a sleeve element. said sleeve element having an upper edge and a lower end, said lower end forming a bottom plate (14) having a first hole therethrough, and said upper edge having an inwardly facing flange (12),   said upper section (4) having an attachment means for connection to said root part, a lower end of said upper section facing said lower section (11), and having a flexible traction member (19), attached thereto, and a bottom (5) with a central, indented and downward facing section (8), said traction member (19) having a lower free end and a lower locking means (25) for mounting onto said lower free end, said indented and downward facing section (8) having an encircling body (7) of elastic rubber material fastened thereto, said encircling body having an outer diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of said inwardly facing flange,   said post foot (3) further comprising a resilient, compressible body (21) having an upper side and a lower end, and a disc member (24) with a second hole therethrough located at said lower end, said lower section (11) having means for attachment to a stationary location, said flexible traction member (19) extending from top to bottom of said sleeve element and further extending through said first hole in said bottom plate, a central bore in said resilient, compressible body (21) and said second hole in said disc member, said lower locking means (25) of said flexible traction member (19) abutting with said disc member (24), said disc member (24) abutting with said lower end of said resilient, compressible body (21), and said upper side of said resilient, compressible body (21) abutting with said bottom plate (14) of said sleeve element (11).   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said encircling body (7) further comprises a skirt, said skirt extending down into said sleeve element (11). 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said encircling body (7) has an annular recess and a peripheral bulge (10) along said recess, said recess receiving said inwardly facing flange of said sleeve element (11), whereby said inwardly facing flange is held securely by said bulge (10) of said encircling body (7). 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said encircling body has an inwardly facing flange section comprising an encircling lip of inwardly tapering thickness, and said indented and downward facing section (8) has a central hole (6) comprising a conical, rounded-off area, whereby said encircling lip is secured to said rounded-off area by moulding, vulcanizing or glueing. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for connection to said root part comprises an upper sleeve for receiving said root part (1), a central hole (6) extending though bottom (5) of said upper section, said traction member (19) runs through said central hole (6), said traction member (19) has an upper end protruding above said bottom (5), said upper end of said traction member (19) has a locking means (23) for locking said traction member (19) to said upper section (4), said central hole (6) of said indented and downward facing section (8) having an end facing said sleeve section (11), and said central hole (6) being conically expanding and progressing over a rounded-off area of said indented and downward facing section (8). 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve element (11) has an outside whereupon are provided ears (29) for attachment of said post foot to said stationary location (30). 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for attachment to a stationary location comprises the sleeve element secured in an opening in a base (17) to be sunk into ground together with said sleeve element. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said encircling body further comprises a skirt, said skirt extending down into said sleeve element. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said encircling body has an annular recess and a peripheral bulge (10) along said recess, said recess receiving said inwardly facing flange of said sleeve element, whereby said inwardly facing ring is held securely by said bulge of said encircling body. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said encircling body has an annular recess and a peripheral bulge along said recess, said recess receiving said inwardly facing flange of said sleeve element, whereby said inwardly facing flange is held securely by said bulge of said encircling body. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said encircling body has an inwardly facing flange section comprising an encircling lip of inwardly tapering thickness, and said indented and downward facing section has a central hole comprising a conical, rounded-off area, whereby said encircling lip is secured to said rounded-off area by, moulding, vulcanizing or glueing. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for connection to said root part comprises an upper sleeve for receiving said root part, said indented and downward facing section has a central hole going through said bottom of said upper section, said traction member runs through said central hole, said traction member has an upper end protruding above said bottom, said upper end of said traction member has a locking means for locking said traction member to said upper section, said central hole of said indented and downward facing section has an end facing said sleeve section, and said central hole is conically expanding and progressing over a rounded-off area of said indented and downward facing section. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for connection to said root part comprises an upper sleeve for receiving said root part, said indented and downward facing section has a central hole going through said bottom of said upper section, said traction member runs through said central hole, said traction member has an upper end protruding above said bottom, said upper end of said traction member has a locking means for locking said traction member to said upper section, said central hole of said indented and downward facing section has an end facing said sleeve section, and said central hole is conically expanding and progressing over a rounded-off area of said indented and downward facing section. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means for connection to said root part comprises an upper sleeve for receiving said root part, said indented and downward facing section has a central hole going through said bottom of said upper section, said traction member runs through said central hole, said traction member has an upper end protruding above said bottom, said upper end of said traction member has a locking means for locking said traction member to said upper section, said central hole of said indented and downward facing section having an end facing said sleeve-like section, and said central hole is conically expanding and progressing over a rounded-off area of said indented and downward facing section. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for connection to said root part comprises an upper sleeve adapted for receiving said root part, said indented and downward facing section has a central hole going through said bottom of said upper section, said traction member runs through said central hole, said traction member has an upper end protruding above said bottom, said upper end of said traction member has a locking means for locking said traction member to said upper section, said central hole of said indented and downward facing section has an end facing said sleeve-like section, and said central hole is conically expanding and progressing over a rounded-off area of said indented and downward facing section. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said means for connection to said root part comprises an upper sleeve for receiving said root part, said indented and downward facing section has a central hole going through said bottom of said upper section, said traction member runs though said central hole, said traction member has an upper end protruding above said bottom, said upper end of said traction member has a locking means for locking said traction member to said upper section, said central hole of side indented and downward facing section has an end facing said sleeve section, and said central hole is conically expanding and progressing over a rounded-off area of said indented and downward facing section.